Serious Times Call for a Serious Race

The Sacramento Bee published an editorial today about the Sacramento mayoral race. The text of the editorial appears below.

SACRAMENTO--Over the next seven days, we will outline in these columns some of the issues that voters should expect Heather Fargo and Kevin Johnson to address as they campaign for mayor of Sacramento.

These issues – accountability, education, housing, neighborhoods, crime and public safety, transit and leadership of city government – are all important. But just as important as what the candidates say about these issues is how they say it – and how they conduct their campaigns.

The issue is all the more critical given recent experience. The conduct of both candidates during the primary election season left a lot to be desired.

Fargo, seeking an unprecedented third term as mayor, refused to disavow a sleazy Web site created independently by some of her supporters.

Johnson, making his first run for public office, ducked public forums that would have given voters more opportunities to compare him and Fargo in person.

Obviously, the candidates made decisions about their campaigns based on what they believed would work best for them politically. Equally obviously, those decisions did not work in the best interests of voters.

Things should be different this time around. Both campaigns are already ramping up for the Nov. 4 election, as evidenced by the current controversy over a proposal to fight gang activity with money raised by a quarter-cent boost in the local sales tax. So it's not too early to make clear some basic expectations for the candidates.

First, show up – and not just in settings of your choosing. A mayor's race isn't like a presidential campaign or a run for governor. Candidates for mayor can and should meet voters in the presence of their opponent. Various community groups are now working on setting up candidate forums. Make it a priority to attend as many as possible.

Second, don't play dumb about your supporters if they campaign on your behalf in inappropriate ways. It isn't enough to simply say that they are acting independently. A sleazy Web site or robo-call phone campaign attacking your opponent reflects badly on you. You should have the courage and decency to ask your supporters publicly to repudiate such tactics and to stop doing things you disapprove of. That's called leadership.

Third: This election comes at a time when Sacramento faces serious issues. Your campaign should reflect that. The depressed housing market and the national economic downturn have put local government under a huge financial strain. The wave of foreclosures has left neighborhoods in distress. There's a scandal in the city Utilities Department. Serious times deserve serious discussions, not just sound bites, sloganeering and personal attacks.

Ultimately, the character of a campaign depends on the decisions of the candidates. But voters can have a lot of influence on those decisions by making their expectations clear to the candidates, in person, by phone or by e-mail.

The message to impart is simple, so it needn't be long. Voters are paying attention to what you say and do, and how you say and do it. They will hold you accountable for the conduct of your campaign.

And so will we.